The Dream Lives On
by ElphieThroppDG28
Summary: The Phantom's power wasn't limited to the Opera Populaire. Read on to see what happened when a small town show choir was visited by their own "opera ghost". LIMBO.
1. Author's Note

The Dream Lives On: A Look into the Investigation of Phenomena Concerning Kryssie Daniels, an Opera Ghost, and the Oakwood Ridge Community Center

_Compiled by and at the discretion of Miss C. Spade, Mr. J. Spade, Mr. T. Ritzer, Mr. B. Casey, and Miss J. Casey_

* * *

><p>Dear Reader,<p>

If you have found this rather large envelope, then you have discovered something that even I questioned the existence of. Ever since the fall of 2010, many have been puzzling about the strange phenomena that occurred in the small town of Oakwood Ridge, Minnesota, during that time. The police have kept their findings under wraps, however; because it is such a small town, Oakwood Ridge would rather not have publicity and destroy that mentality, as it has already been upset by the occurrences that took place there.

However, I have been lucky enough to meet - and somewhat befriend - Miss Catherine Spade, and she has disclosed to me her research on what, exactly, added up to be one of the greatest mysteries of the year 2010. Being members of the Oakwood Ridge Show Choir, she, her brother, her cousins, and her friends have had exclusive access to key people, places, and events, and have compiled them into what you now hold in your hands.

I must warn you: guard this envelope and its contents with your life. There are those who wish to expose the truth, and therefore demolish Oakwood Ridge's peaceful demeanor and turn it into another Forks, Washington. Not only that, but some of the families involved in the investigation have not fully recovered from the shock and devastation of what has occurred. It would be wise to respect their wishes and not make this story public.

I do hope that I have placed this sacred document in the right hands. Prove me right, and show this to only those you trust. Although this story must never be shown to the general public, those who know it must keep it alive, and remember that it actually did happen.

I wish you well,

Elphie


	2. Disc 1, Track 1

Disc 1, Track 1: Introduction by Catherine Spade

_Key to listening:_

_C - Catherine Spade_

* * *

><p>(sound of microphone being tapped)<p>

C: Hello? Is this thing working?

(sound continues, then stops)

C: Oh, I guess it is.

(sighs)

C: Okay. I guess I'll start.

(exhale)

C: If you're listening to this, you must be either very brave or very disturbed. Maybe even both. Whatever the reason, you were right to listen to this before reading that gigantic packet that probably cost forty trees to make. This is the intro, where I tell you what to do and all that stuff.

(pause)

C: What I am about to tell you is…no, that sounds lame…The events that happened…wow, that's even worse…ugh! Why is this so hard? You know what? Sometimes I wonder why things happen to me. I mean, my life isn't any more abnormal than most. So why did all this happen? Why were all these people hurt, why was the last safe place in our town destroyed? Why is my best friend now dead? Why?

(pause)

C: I don't like placing blame on anyone, let alone a boy who, I now realize, would ruin everything the second he set foot in this town. But now's not the time to point fingers. I'm here for much more than that. My name is Catherine Anne Spade. I am nineteen years old, and I live in the town of Oakwood Ridge, Minnesota. Life in a small town isn't all that exciting, but it doesn't need to be. Everyone knows everyone, and you can easily get from one end of town to the other by riding a bike. So you can imagine the culture shock we received a few years back really shook us up.

(pause)

C: I suppose I should start with the nitty-gritty. Read the packet to find out what really happened. There are also two CDs. Listen according to the numbers. They're indicated in that huge packet that's sitting in front of you. Whenever you see a CD number, stop reading, pop in the CD, and listen. It's important you do so. We weren't there during some of what happened…but from what we've gathered, we tried to tell it the best that we can. Each CD contains an interview or an audio of some sort. Trust me. They're here for a reason.

(pause)

C: The story you're about to read is true. It's your choice if you choose not to believe us.

(pause)

It was hard for us to tell this story. Please ignore if someone starts to cry or anything like that. We can't help it. Our entire way of life was shattered right before our eyes…I think we've got a right to get emotional about that. So come along for the ride…if you dare.


	3. Key People

Key People Who Are Probably Important To Know

_Written by Catherine Spade_

* denotes members/association of the Oakwood Ridge Show Choir

Laugh at anyone's name and die. I mean it.

* * *

><p><em>Mr. The Phantom<em> - He's the ghost, obviously. He preys on the innocent and is not above killing to get what he wants.

_Miss Kryssie "Krys" Daniels_* - My best friend and the victim of the Phantom's…um…affections, I guess.

_Mr. Robert "Rob" Casey_* - My haughty cousin and the new patron of the show choir.

_Mrs. Bea Gregmann_* - The choreographer of the show choir, and my loving aunt.

_Miss Catherine "Cate" Spade (me)_* - The narrator. Just a regular, run-of-the-mill high school junior; there's nothing really to say.

_Mr. Jacob "Jake" Spade*_ - My younger brother and partner-in-crime.

_Mr. Tyler Ritzer_* - A member of the show choir, and one of the most obnoxious people who ever lived.

_Mr. Benjamin "Ben" Casey_ - Rob's twin brother, often overshadowed and jealous.

_Miss Julia Casey_* - Rob and Ben's sweetheart little sister.

_Ms. Charlene Xavier*_ - The reigning diva of the show choir.

_Mr. Ezra Martinson_ - A dorky student-teacher at school.

_Mr. Conrad Ferbs_* - One of the new directors of the show choir.

_Mr. Birdie Amden*_ - One of the new directors of the show choir.

_Mr. Tony Rawp*_ - The conductor of the band.

_Mr. Usher Pleasy*_ - Charlene's boyfriend, and the leading male of the show choir.

_Mr. Joben "Cranky Joe" Briddle_* - The cranky show choir stagehand, often seen oggling the girls.

_Mr. Gary Spade_ - Jake's and my dad.

_Mrs. Emily Spade_ - Jake's and my mom.

_Mr. Charles Casey_ - Jake's and my uncle; Rob, Ben, and Julia's dad.

_Mrs. Jacqueline Casey_ - Jake's and my aunt; Rob, Ben, and Julia's mom.

_Mr. Jack Lentors_* - The current director of the show choir, about to go on an "extended" vacation to Disneyland with his family.


	4. November 23rd, Pt 1

_November 23rd, 2013_

Catherine Spade stepped out of the Jeep and onto the leaf-covered grass. The scent of apples and fallen leaves mixed together to announce that fall had officially arrived.

"Are you sure you're up for this, Cate?" Jacob Spade hopped out of the passenger side, his floppy brown hair flapping in the light breeze. "We could always go home."

Cate shook her head. "It's too late for that. We're here, and we're going to have fun." She made her way down the hill, careful not to trip in her boots.

"But don't you remember…?"

"Yes, of course, Jake. You don't need to remind me."

Jake shrugged. "I just thought maybe…"

Cate tousled his hair. "I was out of my mind?" She had been wondering the same thing. She would be home from St. Thomas for another few weeks- her break had started the day before Thanksgiving and lasted all the way until sometime after New Year's - a rarity indeed for the demanding regime she experienced every day at the college. But of all things she could do during that precious amount of time, she had chosen to come here.

"Well, who knows. I mean, after what happened to…"

Cate's eyes shifted to the ground. Jake realized his mistake instantly.

"Oh, God, Cate…I…I'm sorry. I…I didn't meant to…you know I would never…"

"Jake. It's fine." It had been two and a half years since Krys had died, so it should be fine to talk about.

But it wasn't. Cate still felt that some part of Krys's unhappiness was her fault. She should have helped her best friend more than she had. She should have done a lot of things differently…

Today wasn't meant for that. Today was meant for having fun, to get her mind off of school and life in general.

It was Black Friday, so of course almost no one was left in town; they had all gone to the outskirts to the outlet malls and department stores. The Sparkwood Apple Orchard had their annual Fall Fair the same day. No one ever knew why, and no one ever asked.

It was simple enough; it was a mix between a belated Halloween and early Christmas party. Everyone came dressed as a favorite book character, either from a creepy book or a holiday-themed book - and participated in a whirwind of activities. Most of them were geared toward younger children, but there was always a nice turnout, nonetheless.

Cate and Jake had decided to have matching costumes this year, and walked across the leaf-covered grass as brother-sister duo Violet and Klaus Baudelaire. Jake fiddled with his fake glasses for what seemed like the hundreth time that day, clearly annoyed.

"If you hate those things so much, don't wear them," Cate said. "The kid in the movie hardly wears them."

"Maybe I don't wanna be like the kid in the movie," grumbled Jake. "Have you seen him lately? He let himself go!"

Cate giggled. "Just put them in your pocket. It's no big deal."

"Fine." Jake stuffed the wiry frames in the pocket of his khaki pants.

Cate giggled again, but stopped suddenly. She spotted two people she knew all too well over by one of the apple trees. Her heart started racing as the memories of three years ago came flooding back, plunging her into that all too-familiar pain that was so hard for her to bear.


	5. September 24th, 3pm

Part I: Let the Dream Begin - Friday, September 24th - Friday, October 15th, 2010

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 1: Enter the Phantom<span>

_September 24th, 2010_

_Oakwood Ridge Community Center, the theater, 3 p.m._

* * *

><p>Flashback three years ago. It's fall of 2010. I'm a junior in high school, just beginning to think about college (which is such a pain in the neck). Jake has just turned thirteen, reveling in his position as an eighth grader at the middle school. But at the forefront of both our minds was the Oakwood Ridge Show Choir.<p>

Oakwood Ridge isn't a very commercial town. Hardly anyone who lives outside its borders knows of it. Our only claim-to-fame was the show choir, which practiced seven days a week and performed on Friday nights.

The Oakwood Ridge Community Center was fairly nice. It had a pool, an enormous gym/workout center, and - most imporantly - a theater. Although it held only 200 people and had a smaller stage than most, it was like a second home to us.

That fateful Friday, when everything was set into motion, we were working on our latest performance. For some reason, our choreographer - who's also my aunt - Bea Gregmann, decided that, for these medleys, we would attempt to learn ballet. Of course, we were all awful at it (and the guys hated the Spandex), but whatever Aunt Bea says goes. She may be quiet, but when she says something, she means it.

The band had it easy, if anything. They sat in the pit at the front of the stage, and played their songs when we rehearsed, and texted when we took breaks. They didn't have to put up with exhausting dancing, or hideous outfits, or hoarse voices. But I suppose that's what I loved about it all; there was pain, but there was satisfatction, as well.

Anyway, that rehearsal felt longer than usual, and not just because I was shivering in my powder-blue dress and longed to throw on a sweater. Charlene Xavier, our perpetual "leading lady", was having issues about how our little three-ring circus was run. It didn't seem to be too bad at first; I mean, she did this kind of thing at every rehearsal, which is why she had earned the (secret) title Witch with a Capital B.

That day, however, her temper was raging out of control. Even the tiniest little thing made her angry, and we had to keep stopping just so she could spout off about how this was wrong and how so-and-so wasn't doing his job. Since Mr. Lentors, the director, wasn't there at the moment, Aunt Bea had to play baby-sitter and try to calm her down.

I didn't really care about what Charlene's complaints were. I just had a good time laughing about it behind her back with my best friend, Kryssie.

"Oh, my God," I whispered. "She's really ticked today."

"Is she PMSing or something?" Krys whispered back.

"Probably. Good Lord, look at her! Her face is redder than my aunt's hair!"

We giggled at that. This was yet another reason I liked show choir. It was pretty much the only place I could hang out with Krys as of late. She had gotten super busy over the summer with a new voice class of hers, and the schedule was pretty rigorous, even for that kind of thing.

"Settle down, everyone!" The conductor, Mr. Rawp - or Mr. R, for short - kept tapping his baton on his music stand. The band immediately shut up, occupied with their phones, but the show choir…well…we like to talk, let's just say.

"If this keeps up, I think I'll sneak into the green room and start on my history report," I said deviously.

"We don't get Wi-Fi in there, remember?"

"Oh, right...shoot!"

Krys giggled. "I guess you're stuck out here with us, then."

"Yes, what could be better than getting to watch the Bitch herself and trying to avoid..._him_."

I wrinkled my nose in the direction of a lanky boy with short, curly dark brown hair and the smuggest look I've ever seen. He was the boy who, in kindergarten, had drawn a mohawk on the prized drawing I'd done of my cat, Grizabella. He was the boy who refused to leave me alone, and was constantly a jerk to almost everyone. He was the boy who liked to push your buttons until you exploded, and then laugh about it for a long time afterwards.

This was Tyler Ritzer.

The bane of my existance.

"Oh, come on, Cate," Krys said, glancing over at Tyler. "He hasn't been_ that_ obnoxious lately."

"Krys. We're talking about Tyler. He's only got one level of obnoxious, and that is EXTREMELY OBNOXIOUS. He can never be anything less." I smiled sarcastically. "If he ever reaches below that level, he'll probably combust."

"I don't know..." Krys was looking over my shoulder, and looked a little nervous. "Maybe if you gave him a chance..."

"Hell no I'm not giving him a chance!" I exclaimed. "He doesn't deserve one! He's a big fat jerk, and he's never going to change. Why should I subject myself to more annoyance?"

Krys kept staring behind me. It didn't click in my mind to shut up - at least, not yet.

"And for another thing, I will never, ever, _ever_-"

"-admit that you secretly find me attractive?" said a voice behind me.

I felt my eyes bulge as I slowly turned around. There was Tyler, with his signature smirk, albeit a little strained because of his tights. I shot a glare at Krys, who shrugged. "I tried to tell you he was there. Sorry."

I rolled my eyes, turning my attention to Tyler. "What do you want, Tyler?"

"Oh, I don't want to bother you." He snickered, snorting in the process. "I found your rant to be much more entertaining."

I slapped him on the head. "Shut up," I snapped.

"HEY!" Charlene stormed over to us, her poofy pink skirt rustling. "Some of us are trying to _work _over here!" She whipped back around and stomped back to where my aunt was standing, rubbing her forehead, something she usually does when she's stressed out.

Just then, an entourage entered the theater. Leading was our current director, Mr. Lentors. Following him were two men I'd never seen before. Both were glancing around the theater in awe and exchanging looks of excitement. It was obvious they weren't from around here if they found this old place that impressive.

Behind them came two boys who looked to be about my age, and a little girl. I groaned inwardly. I had completely forgotten that my cousins were moving back to town from wherever they'd lived for the past few years. They were super rich, and supported the performing arts (but didn't actually participate; imagine that!).

"Good afternoon!" Mr. Lentors said jovially as the ruckus died down. "Now, as you all know, there have been rumors flying around that I am taking an extended leave of absense to California with my family. I can now tell you that they are all true! I've been offered a job at Disneyland as one of the suit workers!"

There was an immediate buzz that shot through everyone. I had known for a while that Mr. Lentors was leaving; he was looking for any excuse to leave town. It wasn't that he hated it here...I think it was that he didn't see himself going anywhere here.

He continued with his speech. "If any of you wish, you can all fly out and see me as Pluto on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays! Now, it is my pleasure to introduce to you our new directors of the show choir: Mr. Birdie Amden and Mr. Conrad Ferbs!"

There was a smattering of polite applause as we took in the sight of the two older gentlemen. They had to be in their mid-forties, and completely not the performing arts type. But I didn't say anything.

"I'm sure you'll all accept him into the show choir family and treat them with the utmost respect!"

"That's likely," I heard Tyler whisper to anyone who could listen. I clenched my teeth, fighting the urge to turn around and slap him again.

"We are accompanied today by our new patrons," Mr. Ferbs said regally, turning to gesture to my cousins. "The Casey family has graciously offered to support the Oakwood Ridge Show Choir in its future endeavors."

There were more golf claps. I realized that if my cousins were the new patrons, that meant I'd be seeing a lot more of them. Which meant they would probably sit in on every rehearsal.

Lucky me.

Krys took in a breath. "It's Rob," she said quietly.

"Yeah, I know," I said, glaring at the taller boy. Rob was an impossibly gorgeous boy; he had perfectly sculpted chesnut hair, perfectly full lips, and a perfectly coordinated wardrobe. He carried himself like he was the King of England, and he pissed me off to no end.

"He hasn't changed much..." Krys said dreamily.

I swiveled my head to stare at her. "You know him?"

She nodded, not taking her eyes off of him. "Before I moved here, we lived across the street from each other. Our families were very close..." She blushed a little. "I suppose you could say we were childhood sweethearts."

She didn't have to tell me the rest, because I knew it already. Her father had died, leaving her all by herself. So she was put in the town's orphanage, where my aunt happened upon her one fine day, and adopted her, and the rest is history. But I wasn't focusing on that at the moment.

"What. The. Frick." I frowned. "How is it that you actually _like _him, Krys? He and Tyler must be twins, that's how much I can't stand him!"

"I wouldn't believe that for a second," she said, not even looking at me. I fought the urge to shake her.

"My family is honored to support you all," Rob said, his head held high. "We look forward to seeing your performances."

"Yes, _we _are very excited," said the boy next to him, shooting him a look.

I couldn't fight the smile on my face. Ben, Rob's younger twin brother, was always looking for the opportunity to step out of Rob's shadow. Since Rob would be attending Harvard next year, everyone was making a fuss about him, leaving Ben to fall to the wayside. And, of course, Ben wanted everyone to know he was worth their spit...or however that saying goes.

Charlene didn't miss the opportunity to make her presence known. She daintily shook hands with the new directors and my cousins, seeming a little disgusted when Ben kissed her hand instead of shaking it.

"Charlene Xavier, our leading lady for the past six years," Mr. Lentors introduced. "And her partner, Usher Pleasy."

Usher slid up to the group, doing some weird handshake he'd learned somewhere. Charlene slapped his arm when he came to stand by her.

"It was a pleasure meeting all of you," Rob said. "We will allow you to get back to your rehearsal. My family will be back this evening to see your performance."

"And Julia will be joining you guys next week," Ben added, stepping in front of Rob. "Just so you know."

The small blond girl standing next to them nodded shyly, taking hold of Ben's hand as they made their way out the door.

"He wouldn't remember me," Krys said dejectedly, bending down to tighten her shoes. "It was so long ago."

"Krys, get over it already! He's a jerk. That's all you need to know. You can do so much better than that."

She continued to fiddle with the ribbons on her shoes. I sighed.

"Plus...he didn't even see you, okay?"

She still didn't say anything, but there was an air of hopefulness about her after that.

* * *

><p>We ran the entire show again - or, we tried to. Charlene demanded we keep stopping. Mr. Lentors left halfway through, saying something about needing to pack some more toothpaste.<p>

Of course, Mr. Amden and Mr. Ferbs had no idea how to deal with Charlene's temper, and were thoroughly bewildered. This didn't help anything, and finally, she had enough.

"If none of you are going to take this seriously, then I won't pick up your slack!" She folded her arms and plopped down on the stage. "I'm not singing tonight! You can find someone else!"

"Remind me, Ms. Gregmann, why this...lovely girl is allowed to behave like this?" Mr. Ferbs asked.

"Her parents co-own the center," Aunt Bea said simply. "They could shut us down if we don't do what she says."

"Well, what do we do?" Mr. Amden asked, nervously biting his nails.

I had to laugh at this. I nudged Jake, who was trying to contain his laughter. "This is better than _The Jersey Shore_," I said.

"Try to appease her," Aunt Bea said, stepping back and signaling to them to approach.

The two of them walked up to the sobbing form of Charlene cautiously. "There, there, Miss Xavier," Mr. Amden said soothingly. "How about we backtrack a bit? To...to your solo in Act II?"

Charlene slowly raised her head, turning off her tears just as quickly as she'd turned them on. "Alright, but just this once," she said, dusting herself off.

So we started off again. At this point, I was getting hungry; Jake and I wouldn't make it home before call, so we'd have to go downstairs to the snack bar and get some hot dogs.

As I was debating whether to get Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew, I heard an ear-shattering scream. One of the backdrops had suddenly fallen from the rafters and landed on Charlene, who was flailing helplessly under it. If I wasn't worried about if she or anyone else was injured, I would have found this sight extremely hilarious.

"He's ba-ack," Jake sang, catching my eye. I shook my head and pressed a finger to my lips, trying not to laugh. It was a a long-running joke with the show choir that there was a ghost that haunted the theater, a sort of guardian angel that watched over us. At first, we just thought it was all make-believe, but then Mr. Lentors, Aunt Bea and Mr. R started getting texts from an unknown number, stating all these demands and threats. We'd learned by now that it was best to listen to whomever was sending the messages; if we didn't...well, stuff like this happened.

"Joben!" Mr. R screeched, trying to hop out of the pit and onto the stage. "Where is that useless freeloader?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Our fifty-five-year-old stagehand, nicknamed Cranky Joe, started to pull the backdrop up off Charlene. It took a little effort, because he kept staring at all the tight-fitting leotards everyone wore. I shivered in disgust.

"THAT IS IT!" Charlene pushed Usher, who had been helping her up, away. "I'm through! This shit has been going on for far too long! I cannot work when little things like this go wrong! You clowns can get someone else to sing tonight!" She stormed off the stage and through the doors to the dressing rooms. "USHER!" she shouted, and he obediently followed.

"She's not serious, is she?" Mr. Amden said meekly.

"Who knows," Mr. R said, climbing back into the pit. "She does this sort of thing all the time."

The two noobs turned to my aunt, who had her Blackberry out. "I've just received a message from the Opera Ghost," she announced.

"Opera Ghost?" They looked at each other, then to Aunt Bea.

"He welcomes you to his theater-"

"_His _theater?" Mr. Ferbs asked, shocked. "You must be joking."

"He wants to remind you to keep the Queen's Row empty for his use, and that his monthly salary is due."

"What in God's name...?" Mr. Amden trailed off.

"Jack would usually pay him around six-hundred dollars a month."

"Six-hundred dollars?" Mr. Ferbs grabbed her phone to read the message, as if he didn't believe what it said.

"You can't afford that, even with the Caseys' generous donation?" Aunt Bea snatched her phone back. "I'm just trying to help, I hope you know that."

"Well, all help aside," Mr. Ferbs said, steadily growing redder in the face, "we'll have to cancel the performance, because as it stands, we have lost our star!"

"Surely there must be an understudy!" Mr. Amden said hopefully.

"Charlene Xavier doesn't work with understudies," Mr. R said from below. "As she puts it, there's only room for one star."

As the adults continued to figure out what they were going to do, I suddenly had an idea.

Krys had improved a lot over the summer with her singing. She used to be good, but now she was amazing. And it wasn't fair that Charlene was the center of attention all the time. Someone else deserved it.

I had this in mind as I marched right up to the huddled group and said, in a voice that was much bigger than I'd intended, "Krys can sing it."

The silence seemed to melt away as all eyes turned to me, then to Krys. She stood, looking at me with doe eyes.

"A chorus girl?" Mr. Amden asked. "Don't be silly."

"She can do it!" I insisted. "Charlene's not the only one around here who can sing."

The two of them seemed unsure. Aunt Bea walked over to Krys and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Let her at least audition," she said. "She has been well-taught."

Since there wasn't a better option, they led her to the front of the stage, and had her sing the solo in Act II. And she rocked it. I mean, Charlene was okay, but she oversang all the time. Krys's voice was much gentler, and the song complimented it perfectly.

By the time the song had ended, silence filled the theater. No one said a word, because we all knew the same thing.

We had ourselves a new star.


	6. Disc 1, Track 2

Disc 1, Track 2: Interview #1

_Interview with Witnesses on the Night in Question (September 24)_

_September 24th, 2010_

_Oakwood Ridge Community Center, hallway outside the theater, 7:02 p.m._

* * *

><p><strong>Mr. Conrad Ferbs:<strong> Tonight was splendid! Absolutely fabulous! Miss Daniels saved the show!

**Mr. Birdie Amden: **I knew from the start that Miss Daniels was something special. There are some people, you can tell, are destined for greatness, and she is one of them.

**Mr. Tony Rawp: **A success! I cannot believe it! Who knew Krys was that talented?

**Mr. Joben Briddle: **Great show tonight...loved the costumes...(takes swig of champaigne) Krys looked very sensual...

**Ms. Charlene Xavier: **What a little whore! Taking over my show like that! It was atrocious! She's going to pay...they're all going to pay!

**Mr. Usher Pleasy: **It was okay, I guess. But, man, that Krys has some serious pipes! (nervous laughter) I mean...she was terrible. She ain't got no talent.

**Mr. Gary Spade: **Oh, it was good. It was nice to see someone other than Charlene in the spotlight. Krys has a good voice.

**Mrs. Emily Spade: **The show was amazing, as usual! Oh, I'm so glad Krys got a chance to shine. She's very talented!

**Mr. Charles Casey: **Tonight has proven that we made the right choice to invest in this sort of thing. Marvelous performance, especially from that Daniels girl.

**Mrs. Jacqueline Casey: **It was so _cute_! I'm looking forward to seeing more of this! And that blond girl...oh my Lanta, can she sing!

**Mr. Robert Casey: **I can't really talk right now...I have to find...what, the show? Yeah, it was good. If you'll excuse me, I have some business to take care of...

**Mr. Benjamin Casey: **This isn't really my thing, if I'm going to be perfectly honest. But it was good. I'll be hearing about it for a while...Rob can't stop talking about that Kryssie chick. I think he went to look for her.

**Miss Julia Casey: **I liked it. The main girl was really good. I'm a little nervous to be joining...I don't think I could be that good.

**Mr. Tyler Ritzer: **We kicked some ass tonight! Krys was friggin' awesome! WHOO!

**Mr. Jacob Spade: **Tonight was great! Krys did a great job! I think this was the best we've done in a while...

**Miss Catherine Spade: **I knew Krys could do it. Didn't I tell them? And look what happened: we had a great show tonight! Hey, do you know where Krys is? I can't find her anywhere...

**Mrs. Bea Gregmann: **High-calliber performance tonight, from everyone. I am so proud of Krys. And he is, as well. Yes...he is most pleased...


	7. September 24th, 7:30pm

Chapter 1: Enter the Phantom (continued)

_September 24th, 2010_

_Oakwood Ridge Community Center, the loading dock, 7:30 p.m._

* * *

><p>It took long enough, but I finally was able to get away from all the people milling about outside the theater. It was crazier than usual; a lot of people wanted to congratulate Krys, but couldn't seem to find her.<p>

Since I have a lot more patience than them, I finally found her. She was out on the loading dock, where the heavier set pieces were delivered. She was leaning on the railing, watching the small gathering of trees sway in the wind.

"Hey, you," I said, walking up to her. She turned and smiled a little, accepting the hug I gave her.

"You'd better get back in there," I said. "Everyone's looking for you."

She shrugged. "I don't really want attention right now..."

"Krys, they want to congratulate you! You were amazing up there!"

"Thanks." She ducked her head, a bit bashful.

"What voice teacher have you been learning from?" I asked, suddenly curious. "Whoever he is, he must be good. Holy smokes, you blew everyone away tonight!"

Krys looked around, as if to make sure no one else was out there. "Can you keep a secret?" she asked.

I nodded. "Of course."

She looked right at me, tears suddenly in her eyes. "Well, you know my dad died when I was little. He told me, right before he died, that I wouldn't be alone, even after he was gone. He told me that he would send me an angel to watch over me...an Angel of Music.

"And...this past summer, I think he finally found me. Every day, I would sit in the dressing room, and he would teach me all he knew. I've never seen him, but...I know he's here to help me."

I tried not to look too wigged out, but...that's kind of how I felt. I mean, she was talking about some random spirit...voice..._thing _that was watching her. I mean, she had never seen this guy. What if he was...?

"Krys..." I sighed. "Do you think that your dad's spirit is...protecting you? And...teaching you?"

"Who else could it be, Cate?"

Oh, it could be a number of people...but, of course, I didn't say that.

Instead, I tried to be as nice as possible.

"Krys, that sort of thing just doesn't happen. I don't know who this dude is, but I know ghosts don't exist. At least...not like that."

"It's him," Krys said. "I know it's him."

I gave her a sad smile. "Come on. Let's go meet your 'public'."

I grabbed her hand, but drew back. "Krys...your hands are ice-cold."

"I can feel him..." she said, glancing around wildly. "He's here...all around..."

"Your face is pale," I said. "Are you okay?"

"Cate, it frightens me," she said.

"Don't be frightened. You're okay." I opened the door and led her inside. "You're just seeing things."

But even as I closed the door, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching us.


	8. September 24th, 8 to 8:35pm

Chapter 1: Enter the Phantom (continued)

_September 24th, 2010_

_Oakwood Ridge Community Center, Rooms 4A and 4B, 8:00 p.m._

* * *

><p>The tradition of Oakwood Ridge was that, after the show choir performed, there was a reception across the hallway in one of the partymeeting/multi-purpose rooms. It was mainly for the members of the show choir and their families, but anyone was welcome to come, and usually a lot of people came to take advantage of the free food and alcohol (the latter for adults only).

That night, we had to open another room to fit all the people who showed up. Of course, the majority of them only came to talk to Krys and revel in the fact that she was there in front of him, tangible and real. But they would be sadly disappointed, because Krys never came.

Before I get into that, I should probably talk about what went on before that. The adults were sipping their wine, or chugging their beer, or talking animatedly. I was thoroughly enjoying myself, sitting back and quietly eating my Rice Krispy bar.

I tried to avoid my family as much as possible. I mean, I had seen my parents already, but they were talking to my Uncle Charles and my Aunt Jackie at the moment. I wasn't about to subject myself to that sort of torture.

Uncle Charles, who was born and raised in England, seemed to think he knew everything; no matter what you said to him, he was always critical, always wanting to point out the flaws. Aunt Jackie, on the other hand, was an absolute ditz. She seemed so uninterested in a lot of the things you said to her; but if it was about her or her family, or her clothes, she had your full attention.

"Having fun?"

I looked up to see Tyler standing over me with his typical smirk. I narrowed my eyes, sitting up a little straighter.

"Why do you need to know?"

He shrugged, pulling up a chair and sitting next to me. "Can't I ask?"

"No, you can't." I looked at my phone, lying lifelessy by my can of Dr. Pepper. Why wasn't Krys here? She hadn't answered my text yet. I was starting to worry.

"Do you know where Krys is?" Tyler asked, obviously sensing my concern.

"If I did, do you think I'd be sitting here by myself, staring at my phone?"

"Okay, okay." He held up his hands in defense. "I'm sorry I asked."

I exhaled. "I haven't seen here for a while. I've called her twice, and it went right to voicemail. And she still hasn't answered my text."

"You think we should go looking for her?"

I stared at him. His face didn't betray a hidden agenda or anything. For once, Tyler was dead serious.

Oh, my God...the world was ending.

Before I could say anything to this strange out-of-character moment, Rob suddenly appeared, out of breath and looking extremely pleased with himself.

"Hey, Cate," he said.

"Hi, Rob," I answered. "Have you seen Krys?"

"Yeah, she's in the dressing room. We spent the last half hour catching up and-"

"WHAT?" I stood up, knocking my chair over. My cousin and my best friend were _catching up_? This was the last thing I needed.

"Yes," he continued, ignoring my outburst. "I was going to let Mum and Dad know that I'm taking her to dinner. Do you know where they are? There are so many people in here, I can't find them."

I sighed. This was the absolute worst ending to my day. Krys was being sucked into my cousin's high class blandness, and I was powerless to stop her. Dejectedly, I pointed to a table over by the bay window.

"Thanks," he said, and dashed off.

As soon as he'd run off, my phone buzzed. I pounced on it, opened it, and pressed the "View Now" button to read the text.

**I will not be returning to the reception tonight. Do not worry. I am with a friend. **

"Did you hear from Krys?" Jake asked, walking up to me.

"Yeah...read this." I held out my phone. He and Tyler looked at the screen, frowning.

"That doesn't sound like her," Jake said, handing my phone back. "It sounds too formal."

"Did she say anything about going off with someone?" Tyler asked.

I shook my head. "No. She was just...talking about the show," I said slowly, remembering I had promised not to say anything about Krys's "angel". "She didn' mention a friend."

We stood in silence for a moment, staring at my phone. Something definitely seemed off about all of this.

"I'm going to ask Aunt Bea," I said. "She'll know what's going on."

It took a few minutes to get through the huge crowd of people in the middle of the room, but I finally found her, standing off to the side with a far-off look on her face.

"Aunt Bea, you haven't seen Krys, have you?"

She jumped a little at my voice, then shook her head. "No, I can't say I have."

"She just texted me," I said, showing her the screen. "Do you know who she could be with?"

Her face went from confused to shock to understanding. "She's perfectly fine, Cate," she said.

"But, who is this friend she's talking about? And this doesn't sound like her at all! Aunt Bea, I think-"

"Cate, she's okay," Aunt Bea interrupted. "Don't worry..."

And that's all she said. She turned back to staring off into space, signaling the end of the conversation.

I walked back to where Jake and Tyler were sitting and filled them in. They agreed that there was something Aunt Bea wasn't telling me. We decided that, if Krys didn't come back in a half-hour, we'd go looking for her.

And, as you can guess, that's what ended up happening.

* * *

><p><em>September 24th, 2010<em>

_Oakwood Ridge Community Center, the girls' dressing room, 8:35 p.m._

She wasn't anywhere we looked. Not even in the dressing room.

But there was a mirror I'd never noticed before, right on the far side of the room. I saw that it was two-way, and the glass slid to the side, revealing a long, dark-looking tunnel. I didn't think of it at the time, but I now know that that's where Krys went that night.

I was too scared to go in. I'd never even known the mirror had been there. I hightailed it out of there, having a strange foreboding just looking at the mirror.

Tyler, Jake and I had to go back to the reception until it ended, wondering where the heck Krys had gone off to. She was the last place we would think she'd be...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

For right now, we were in the dark. And I'm still not sure if that was a good thing or not.


	9. Disc 1, Track 3

Disc 1, Track 3: The Dream

_Cate: So, Krys...what happened that night?_

_Krys: Well, I went to the dressing room to get some quiet. Then Rob came in. And, I thought he was just coming to tell me how well I'd done, but he also told me he remembered me. It...it made me so happy to know he remembered me._

_Cate: Of course..._

_Krys: Anyway, we talked for a while, and then he invited me to dinner. I told him I'd love to, but I couldn't. I told him the angel didn't want me staying up too late. He looked at me funny, but told me he'd be back in a few minutes. And after that...I can't remember. There was mist...on a murky lake...and candles...and a boat...and a man. A man in the shadows...watching over me..._

_Cate: Krys? Are you okay?_

_Krys: Um...do I have to say anything more? I really don't feel comfortable talking about this._

_Cate: Oh, no. You don't have to talk anymore if you don't want to._

_Krys: It's just...he was frightening...but he was so calming..._

_Cate: Krys? Krys, are you..._

_Krys: And there was a dress...and a mask...and...and..._

_Cate: Krys, you don't have to..._

_Krys: AGH!_

_Cate: Krys! Calm donw! It's okay!_

_Bea: Cate...I think it's time for you to leave. _

_Cate: Right._


End file.
